Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-05-04


s.v yo,. ascan,"s Usass the k,sosssos
prac,,ssA NJ the Oss Oompsn,ss.
From tho New York ilerald.
Up 20 the gaa bills, and with thsm rises
the indignant outery of thousands Of swim.
died consumers Apparently thero 10 no
redreSs against the swollen gas m0nopolistA
unless the consumers resolve TO teach them
lesson by giving up meters for awhile and
burning oil.
Burn Oil9
Certainly.
A. protest against cxtort,onats gas billie
Why notr II was done In this city Just
ten years ago Tho stout yeOmanry who
abide along tbe B0wery led the hGht and for
long time In 1870 the stores and dwellings
on that busy thoroughfare were lighted sl
most entirely by oil lamps rhe movement
spread through other PARTS ri the city; IL was
taken up In brooklyn and Jersey CITY. On
all sides tho war OF the gna consumers was
was found to be stsadier and vastly cheaper.
II tho gaa companies had not made loud
premises OF reform thore In no knOwing to
what proportions tho movement might have
grown. so great WAS the feoling Of indigna.
ton against the corporate robbers that rsso.
luton wss seriously introduced In the hoard
of aldermen To light tho stroots OF The city
with kerosene lamps
expose several weeks ago the gas companies
have absolutely net at defiance the Law passed
. year ago which reduced the price from u. 75
10 81 - for . thousand cubic feet OF twenty
candle power gas.
after patient investigate and prolonged dis
cussion, prohibited the gas companies from
charging more than 81 - for thousand feet
there WAS general rejoicing, especially among
very poor families who could scantily afford
the luxury of gAs, and among people In
whose business expenses tho Item OF gas
figured largely.
hut hardly had tho Law passed when every
gas company In New York put powerful
pressure on Its mains.
The result WAS very simple.
by increased pressure the com panisa forced
enough gas through the meters To make up
for the difference between the former price
casea pressure more than made up for the
diiiereuce, and instead Of having 70 pay less
the consumers had to pay more This sys
TEN OF extortlon has been kept up right
straight along. Notwithstanding the Her.
aids vigorous attack, supported by facts
and figures In abundance, the monopolistA
have made no reply. From oil over tho city
have come proofs of tho Wholesale fraud that
In being prHctised upon the consumers.
In or,ier to make the swiudle still moro
clear . Herald reporter visited . large mum.
ter Of stores yesterday. The test made was
sperfsctly fare ona II was simply 70 com.
rare gas bill for any month prior to the re
duction OF price last June with = bill for .
corresponding month after the reduction.
The comparison vas only made where the
same amount OF light vas used. 1t will be
seen at once tina, II tho bill for gSs at 81 - .
thousand ieet Is not proportiOnatsly lees than
when the price WIS u IS . thousand feet,
where the same quantity OF light was re-
ceived, the consumer IL being robbed.
The proprietor Of one of the largest hotels
on Brosd&ay, above Twenty.third street,
consented tn compare his bills Here IN the
extraordinary result
March. lsssi, when gas was Sl IS u thous.
and fect-?t5.No Cnbic et et-.............t Bt 70
March, lss7 when sas was o. 3 u thous.
Ieet-3ty OO cubic teet. tB Is
The proprietor OF this hotel nays that no
more light was used In tho last month than
In the first. gas engineer VA asked 10
explain how IL wns that although no more
gas WAS burned In ono month than In the
other the consumer had 10 pay tT2 - more
for gas at 81 - than he did year before when
the price was sl1h
:" It is easy TO plain that" no said. "Ths
Consolidated Gas company forced l0i30O
cubic feet Of gas moro than usual through the
meter by simple pressure. OF course, there
was no more light given-in fact, not ~
much-but the meter registered Il, and that
10 Why the bill was higher at Q lower price.
You will notice that the increase In cubic feet
produced by pressure amounts to over three
ssvsnths ot the whole original bill. This In Q
case Of downright robbery. II l was the
owner OF that hotel ! would bring . suit u
recover tho amount taken from me by the
fraud"